On this day (June 10) in 1975, the Eagles released One of These Nights, their breakthrough album. It was their first LP to reach the top of the Billboard 200, where it stayed for five consecutive weeks. Additionally, all three of its singles became top-five hits for the band, continuing a streak they started with “Best of My Love” from their 1974 album On the Border.
The Eagles steadily gained popularity over their first few years. Their 1972 self-titled debut album reached No. 22. Desperado, their sophomore release, stalled at No. 41. They found traction on the albums chart with On the Border, which peaked at No. 17. Then, One of These Nights reached the top of the tally. Their next three studio albums, including the 2007 double album Long Road Out of Eden, did the same. However, none would compare to their 1976 greatest hits collection, which topped the chart for four weeks and has been certified 4x Diamond (40x Platinum) by the RIAA.
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The story was similar on the Hot 100. The Eagles reached the top 10 once, with “Witchy Woman” in 1972, before 1974. Then, “Best of My Love,” the final single from One of These Nights, reached the top of the tally. After that, though, they consistently released hit singles until they split after recording The Long Run.
What Was Different for the Eagles?
It’s hard to say why One of These Nights was the album that put the Eagles on top of the world. Several factors went into the albums’ success. For instance, they started to move away from the country rock sound of their initial releases toward a more mainstream rock sound. They had also evolved as musicians and songwriters since releasing their debut in 1972. It was also the first album to feature Don Felder’s guitar. “Visions,” an album cut, was the only song to feature the former guitarist singing lead.
Things were also better than usual behind the scenes. “There’s no doubt in my mind that One of These Nights was the most fluid and ‘painless’ album we ever made,” Glenn Frey said. “A lot of things came together on One of These Nights–our love of the studio, the dramatic improvement in Don’s and my songwriting,” he added.
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